


Snuggly Bugs and Cuddly Kitties

by saiikavon



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Identity Reveal, ML Secret Santa 2020, Miraculous Ladybug Love Square, Sleepy Cuddles, brief crack at the end
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:08:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,049
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28455120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saiikavon/pseuds/saiikavon
Summary: Five times Marinette and Adrien fell asleep together, plus one time they woke up together.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 8
Kudos: 172





	Snuggly Bugs and Cuddly Kitties

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SapphireAmethystPatch](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SapphireAmethystPatch/gifts).



> Took me a while to finish, but I hope you find it worth it! Please enjoy!

The picture of Adrien and Marinette on the Stairtrain made its rounds throughout their class very quickly after the field trip. All the girls in Marinette’s direct circle cooed over it, Lila made some back-handed comment that sounded sincere to everyone except Marinette, and even Max commented that they looked “comfortable together” (that last one made Marinette blush more than the others, for some reason). Chloe was probably the only person that seemed outwardly displeased, but no one really expected anything else from her.

As for Marinette herself, she treasured it. She’d printed it out when she got home and made a space for it in her scrapbook. She had every small detail memorized, from the relaxed set of his eyebrows to his slightly pursed lips to the way his cheek looked just a little smushed from where it was resting against her hair. She decorated it with little hearts and sprayed it with just a touch of Adrien’s cologne so she could be sure to really enjoy the memory (and if that was a little weird, only she and Tikki had to know about it).

It almost seemed as though Adrien had missed the picture, at first. Marinette kept watching him for any sign that he thought it was silly, or that it made him uncomfortable, but he didn’t appear to have any reaction to it whatsoever. Perhaps, she’d thought, he had seen it, and was just choosing to ignore it, or he didn’t care.

Before the thought could depress her too much, however, she happened to look over Adrien’s shoulder as he opened his school notebook one day. There, on the inside cover, almost too small to see at a glance, was the picture of the two of them snuggled up side by side. Quite devoid of the love hearts that adorned Marinette’s, but there all the same, in a place where Adrien could see it every day. The very idea of it made Marinette feel as though she were floating.

As her eyes found the tiny little keepsake, Adrien’s eyes found her watching. He gave her a little smile in return, making her heart skip a beat, before he looked away again. She returned to her schoolwork as well, a blissful smile playing on her face for the rest of the day.

***

Ordinarily, Marinette would be enjoying her school’s annual fundraising event. She’d helped set it up this year, organizing everything from the game booths (even designing some of the sets herself), the food (from her parents’ bakery, of course), and the entertainment (the school was happy to have Kitty Section there, especially with three of their students performing). It had been a lot of fun, but exhausting work, and Marinette was happy to see how it had all come together… _however_ …

The icing on the already-amazing cake, as Principal Damocles said to a bedraggled Marinette at the tail-end of preparations, would be if Ladybug and Chat Noir could come to support them. He’d then put her in charge of putting a request through to the mayor, since he would be the only person capable (as far as he knew) of getting such a message to Paris’ heroes. Despite desperately wanting to support her school, and despite knowing how much her friends would _love_ to see the duo there, Marinette couldn’t help but hope the request would never actually get through to her. When it inevitably did, she couldn’t think of a reason to say no.

Coming up with an excuse not to come as Marinette hadn’t been easy, but she’d managed. Chat Noir had cited civilian duties that he couldn’t back out of, though, so Ladybug was there by herself, posing for pictures with what felt like a hundred students. Posing with her friends had been nice, but most of these kids she was sure she’d never even said ‘hello’ to as Marinette. Her only real consolation was that Adrien seemed to be in a similar boat, roped into signing autographs at a table nearby. She got to look at him whenever she got a second between pictures, which was heavenly even if it couldn’t be more than a glance.

At long last, the line slowed to a trickle of students, then stopped altogether as people went to enjoy the rest of the festivities. Marinette dared to peek at Adrien’s table, but his line had apparently already vanished, and so did he. With a tired sigh, Ladybug finally slipped away for a moment’s rest.

The noise of the fundraiser became faded background as Marinette retreated further into a realm of the whispering breeze and rustling leaves. She sought the shade of a tree, all of her muscles seeming to deflate as she rested her back against the bark. Slowly, she closed her eyes. Peace at last.

Until she heard footsteps tromping through the grass. She wrinkled her nose and opened her eyes, coming face to face with Adrien Agreste, who looked for a moment like a deer in headlights.

“Oh! I’m sorry, I didn’t realize—I was just—”

Marinette’s heart melted, and she felt her cheeks warm. She had been looking for some alone time, but she would never say no to Adrien’s company. “Looking for a place to rest?” she asked him with a small chuckle. “Me too.”

Adrien rubbed the back of his neck in that adorable, awkward gesture that would never show up in ads or magazines. “I’m sorry,” he said again. “I’ll just find somewhere else. I don’t want to bother you.”

“Oh, I don’t mind. You can sit here with me!” Marinette’s cheeks went even hotter at her own unexpected boldness, and she flailed for one very un-Ladybug-like moment. “I-if you want to, that is! You don’t have to!”

“You really wouldn’t mind?” His expression was so sweet, so tender, that Marinette felt her insides turn into jelly. How was she meant to resist?

“O-of course I don’t mind! Not at all! Who wouldn’t want to hang out with Adrien Agreste? I mean—um.”

Adrien smiled, if possible, even more tenderly than before, and finally settled beside her with a long, labored sigh of his own. Marinette tried her best not to tense up, hyper-aware of how close she was to her crush, and in costume, no less.

Suddenly, everything felt a little too quiet.

“So, um…are you enjoying the fundraiser?” she asked, then immediately bit her tongue. “O-or well, I guess, as much as you could be, since it seemed like you were stuck at that table, mostly…”

Adrien shrugged. “It wasn’t so bad. Everyone’s been really nice, and besides, I’m used to it. My father likes me to make appearances at charities and stuff like this.”

“I’m sorry,” Marinette said, though she wasn’t sure why, maybe just to address the way her heart sank. “I’m sure you would have liked to spend time with your   
friends instead.”

“Like I said, it wasn’t so bad.” Adrien’s tone was distinctly a little more melancholy, though. “And here I am now, hanging out with Ladybug—I can count it as a good day just for that.”

Marinette’s cheeks flushed deeply. If she were struck down dead right now, she could safely say she could die happy.

“When you put it like that,” she said, her voice soft, “I think I can count this a good day, too.”

Adrien smiled at her again. Her heart about exploded, but then the moment was ruined when she let out a huge, jaw-cracking yawn. Still, Adrien’s smile didn’t waver.

“You can close your eyes if you want to,” he said. “I wouldn’t mind.”

Marinette almost protested, but then she yawned again. “Well, okay. Just for a little while, then.”

It felt like ages since Marinette had last slept. When she finally closed her eyes, it wasn’t long before she was drifting off, her head falling against Adrien’s shoulder. In a foggy, half-asleep state, she thought she felt him tense, just a little, before he gently rested his head against hers.

In retrospect, it seemed a miracle that they weren’t discovered like that. Famous Gabriel model Adrien Agreste and superhero Ladybug taking a nap together under a tree; that would have made the news, surely. Somehow, though, Marinette felt like it would have been worth it even if it had happened.

In the moment, she couldn’t have been happier.

***

It was easy, sometimes, for Adrien to feel like he was living life on autopilot, shuffled from one thing to the next. It was no mystery why, of course; his father had every little second of his life scheduled and confined and so routine that Adrien didn’t feel like he had to be fully present for most of it. Even school, small personal victory that it was, was part of his routine now.

So when he was Chat Noir, even if he was just doing a routine patrol with Ladybug, he tended to revel in the freedom of unpredictability, even if his Lady rolled her eyes at him for it. She was usually all serious business, but sometimes it was clear she was just using patrols for some fresh air, too, a little time to get away. Sometimes she brought them snacks and they just sat on the roof talking, or looking at the stars. Adrien cherished those moments more than any other, if only because he got to see her calm and relaxed for once.

That night was one of those peaceful nights. They did a quick patrol and then stole away to a quiet rooftop to share some croissants and hot chocolate. They didn’t talk very much, if only because they were winding down from the rest of the week, which had apparently been a lot for both of them. Adrien didn’t mind. Sitting in silence with Ladybug was just as freeing as…well, doing pretty much anything else with her.

Eventually, the chaos of the rest of the week did catch up with him, and for all that Adrien wanted to stay in this moment with Ladybug, he could feel his eyelids drooping. Once or twice, he let out a yawn. It wasn’t long before Ladybug noticed, and prompted him to go home to sleep.

“Just a little longer?” He gave her a pleading look. “I just…spending time with you is my favorite thing to do; I don’t want to miss a second if I can help it.”

He expected Ladybug to roll her eyes, or frown and insist that he go home anyway. But she surprised him, as she often does, and just shakes her head with a fond little smile.

“Okay, then,” she said, “then how about you rest your eyes here for a little bit? I’ll wake you before it gets too late.”

“Would you really?” Adrien asked, then looked around at the hard, concrete roof. “Er…not sure it would be that comfortable lying down up here, though…”

For a second, Ladybug looked to be thinking something over, before she shuffled back against the stairway door and, amazingly, patted her lap in open invitation. Adrien wasn’t aware that his mouth had fallen open until Ladybug reached over and closed it for him.

“I’m in a good mood, Kitty. Come over here and have a nap before I change my mind.”

Adrien beamed. “As Milady commands.”

As he laid his head down on her legs, Adrien felt all the weariness he’d been fighting settle over him like a blanket. His eyes closed in an instant, his whole body relaxing. He didn’t fall asleep right away, though, so he got to enjoy a few, dozy moments where Ladybug started to pet him. He couldn’t even find it in him to be embarrassed about the contented purr that rumbled out of him as a result.

Soon, he was happily asleep under the warmth of her attention. In his dream-like state, he only barely felt her hand going still in his hair as she fell asleep, too.

***

For all of Adrien’s personal feelings about Christmas, he did have to admit that Paris looked heavenly in winter. In the early evening, the snow-dusted streets were lit up with the warm glow of street lamps and shop windows. The chilly air put people in thick sweaters and woolen hats, pinkened noses and cheeks, and prompted couples to walk arm-in-arm with each other as they went about their lives. The world below looked cozy and inviting as Adrien flitted through the city, catching little waves from the citizens who happened to spot him overhead. He would wave back with a smile, but he never stopped for long. Adrien had a destination in mind.

There was no place more inviting, in his opinion, than the Dupain-Cheng bakery, especially in the winter. He’d only been inside a handful of times, but even from outside the smells were enough to make his mouth water. Adrien loved to pass by on patrol nights for the scents alone, just to imagine all the goodies that must be inside.

He only intended to stop there for a moment, but to his surprise, Marinette’s light was on and the baker’s daughter herself was there on her balcony, gazing out towards the lamp-lit street. It was rare for Adrien to see her outside at this time of night. She’d been inside, her room dark almost every other time he’d come by. Curious, he dropped down to her railing as carefully as possible, surprising her only a little. Her bright blue eyes seemed to shine against the dark of the night sky, illuminated as they were by the fluorescent lights of her bedroom.

“Chat Noir? What are you doing here?”

Adrien adopted a casual posture, one leg bent on the railing, his tail swishing lightly. “What, a cat can’t check up on his favorite civilian?”

Marinette relaxed a little at that, and gave him a cheeky smile. “Oh, I’m your favorite, am I?”

“I said what I said,” Adrien replied, grinning right back. “Really, though, what are you doing out here at this time of night? Everything okay?”

Marinette turned her eyes back towards the street. She took a breath, closing her eyes as the cold air filled her lungs, then went back to leaning against the railing. “I’m fine, Chat Noir. Just needed a little fresh air.”

Adrien nodded. “I understand that. I was sort of doing the same, until I spotted you.” He looked out at the full moon, framed by glittering stars, and he sighed. “It’s a really nice night.”

Marinette hummed in agreement, and for a moment, they fell into silence. Then, Marinette moved again, stretching out her arms before turning back to Chat. He met her gaze with a tilt of his head, prompting a smile from her—no doubt he really looked like a curious kitten in that pose.

“Well, if you’re going to keep me company, then I think we could both use some snacks,” she said. “I’ll be right back. Go ahead and make yourself comfortable anywhere.”

“What? Oh, no, you don’t have to—”

“Chat.” Marinette stopped him with a gentle laugh. “It’s okay. I’d like the company, if you can stay. You still like croissants, right?”

Adrien relaxed, then gave her an eager nod. He’d never say no to one of her family’s croissants. He watched her head downstairs, then left his perch on the railing to find a spot on the balcony. There was only one chair, so he opted to sit cross-legged by the door rather than take Marinette’s only place to sit.

She shook her head at him for it when she returned, scolded him a little and then disappeared into her bedroom to grab him a blanket. Through some clever innovation, she made a makeshift hammock for him to relax in while they ate, then settled into her chair with her own blanket.

It was probably the best night Adrien had ever had, save for any precious moments with Ladybug. At Marinette’s insistence, he ate as many pastries as he could fit in his stomach, then laid back in his blanket-hammock feeling as content as a kitten in front of a fireplace.

“I could fall asleep like this,” he murmured, actually feeling his eyes droop a bit.

“I wouldn’t blame you,” Marinette replied. He heard her yawn, and looked over to see her cuddling up further under her blanket. “Thank you for hanging out with me tonight, Chat Noir. This was really fun.”

As she yawned again, Adrien shifted to get out of the hammock. “I’ll head off, then. Let you get some sleep.”

“No, no wait, don’t do that.” Marinette made an odd gesture, flapping her hand at him like she meant to push him back into place, but was too far away. “It’s not that late, and besides, you look really comfortable.”

Adrien hesitated, but couldn’t resist slumping back. He was comfortable. “You made a really nice hammock, Marinette. I wouldn’t mind staying…just for a few more minutes. But if you’re tired, you don’t have to stay out here with me. Unless you want to join me, that is.”

He was joking, of course. They both knew he was joking. But a strangely determined look began to settle over Marinette’s face, and with a sudden nod, she gathered up her own blanket and began to climb into the hammock with him. Flustered as he was, Adrien still managed to keep them both from falling over while she got herself comfortable, draping the blanket over both of them once she was safely tucked against his side.

“There. That’s much better.” She sighed softly, laying her head against his chest and making them both blush for a moment. She’d been this close to him before, when he was carrying her through the city, but this was different. Intimate. But she was warm and he was sleepy and she fit so perfectly against him that became easy to relax fully.

“Just a few minutes,” he said, curling his arm around her.

“A few minutes,” she agreed.

They dozed together under the sparkling sky, content and happy until the last shop on the street turned its lights off for the night.

***

Let it be known that three in the morning was the worst time for an akuma.

There was no good time for an akuma attack, of course. Adrien couldn’t even begin to count the times he’d been pulled away from class, or had to make some excuse to slip away during a photo shoot or a fencing lesson. But he was always happy to get out of those scheduled activities, so he didn’t mourn their loss too greatly. He was far less happy about having his sleep interrupted to fight whatever crazy supervillain Hawk Moth had conjured up.

He knew he wasn’t his usual self. He was cranky, devoid of puns, and the bags under his eyes could fit his father’s entire fall line. Ladybug was no better; every time Adrien looked over, he could see her squinting at the villain through bleary, bloodshot eyes.

It was certainly a testament to their experience and their strong partnership that they managed to defeat the villain, anyway. Adrien was sure to make some kind of pun when he was more awake, probably about them being able to defeat villains in their sleep that Ladybug would no doubt smack him for, but he wasn’t in the mood for that. At the end of it all, he was swaying on his feet, eyes half-closed as he imagined his soft, fluffy comforter.

“Okay, Kitty,” he heard Ladybug say through a yawn. “Time for bed.”

Without thinking about it, and after letting out a yawn of his own, Adrien said, “Right behind you, Milady.”

He followed her across the rooftops, landing behind her on a balcony that looked an awful lot like Marinette’s. She opened a familiar skylight and climbed inside, saying nothing as he climbed after her and falling right into bed.

It reminded him so much of that little nap on Marinette’s balcony a few nights ago, the two of them cuddled up together on their makeshift hammock, warm and happy. She even pulled the comforter aside for him now, allowing him to get close and wrap an arm around her waist, just like before. Just like before, she laid her head on his chest with a contented sigh. Adrien’s transformation dropped just as his head hit the pillow, and Ladybug’s soon after.

“Good night, Kitty,” she murmured.

Adrien nuzzled her hair, feeling his whole body slow into sleep.

“Good night, Marinette,” he said.

***

Marinette used to be a really heavy sleeper. Being Ladybug had changed things somewhat, but she still could appreciate a really, really good sleep. She’d had some very excellent naps recently, starting with her nap with Adrien on the train, followed by her second nap with Adrien at the school fundraiser, and even her nice rooftop naps with Chat Noir. She joked to Tikki once that she’d been blessed by the ‘good sleep gods’ after all her hard work.

Her sleep the night before, despite the akuma at three in the morning, had been about the best she’d ever had. It was one of those perfect sleeps that she hadn’t had in a long time, where she fell asleep quickly and deeply, had nothing but sweet, Adrien-filled dreams, and woke up still feeling like she’d slept cuddling the world’s biggest and softest stuffed animal.

As she came slowly out of sleep, she could still feel it, a firm pillow under her head and a comfortable weight across her stomach. Gentle puffs of air ruffled her hair and she nuzzled further into her pillow.

A moment later, she frowned in confusion, eyes still closed. Pillows weren’t that firm, and stuffed animals didn’t _breathe_. Very slowly, Marinette began to peel her eyes open.

Too late, Tikki’s voice cried out, “Wait, don’t—!”

Marinette was suddenly face to face with Adrien Agreste. Or, face to chest, really, as the pillow she’d been rhapsodizing about in her head was actually Adrien’s warm, firm chest. It was his arm around her waist, and his breath ruffling her hair.

Tikki sighed. “Oh, dear…”

Adrien was apparently a much lighter sleeper than her. He began stirring the second he felt her starting to hyperventilate in his arms, his meadow-green eyes opening to her bright red face, his brow furrowing in confusion as he took in the situation.

“Marinette? What’s wrong?”

Then his eyes went wide. They both froze, staring at each other while the pieces fell into place, little by little.

Marinette swallowed. “You…followed me home after the akuma.”

Adrien nodded, his face ashen. “Yes. Yes I did.”

“Yeah, you were both completely out of it,” Plagg’s voice said over Adrien’s shoulder, shattering any illusions for Marinette that this might have been a very odd misunderstanding. “By the way, I took the liberty of raiding your fridge for cheese. Hope you don’t mind.”

“Nope! Help yourself!” Marinette’s voice went high enough that she was sure dogs could hear it. As it was, even Adrien winced a little.

“Listen, Ladybug, I am _so_ —”

Marinette stopped his apology in its tracks, placing her finger against his lips. Her cheeks were still most certainly ablaze, and her heart was still probably beating a mile a minute, but to his credit, Adrien stayed silent.

“I am not emotionally prepared to deal with _any_ of this at this hour,” Marinette said at last. “We were up at three in the morning fighting a supervillain, I am still tired, and you are still _very_ warm and comfy. Can I freak out about this later so we can keep cuddling for a couple more hours?”

Adrien blinked. “Really?”

“Your parents shouldn’t be up to check on you for a while,” Tikki chirped helpfully.

“Still too early for your keeper to barge in, too,” Plagg added.

Marinette looked at Adrien expectantly. Steadily, she watched him settle right back against the pillows, giving her a smile that she would surely see again in her dreams.

“As Milady commands,” he said.

With a relieved and tired sigh, Marinette once more cuddled close to Adrien’s chest. Later, they could unpack every crazy, scary, ridiculous thing that their reveal had unleashed upon them…but for now, they deserved the rest.


End file.
